


Shave

by Argentum_Prime



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-29
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2019-05-30 12:43:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15096977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Argentum_Prime/pseuds/Argentum_Prime
Summary: Set in a scenario after AU!Michael is ejected from Dean. Dean is left in a catatonic state. The story is shown from mostly Cas POV with a little Sam POV about how they try to get Dean back to normal. Story contains DeanCas platonic love with development towards romance.





	Shave

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to Andrea, who helped me edit this.

##  Michael Leaves 

Cas was so relieved to see that white cloud of light leave Dean. Where it would go, what would Michael do next, they’d handle together, as Team Free Will. And that team had just got its de-facto leader back after so much time of trying - Dean. Before this, they’d all faced problems, but Dean had supported them as a pillar, sometimes even though he’d had to make difficult choices, mistakes, even blunders, but he’d given his best, as far as things occurred to him. Now that they were all together, they could face any threat once again. A whole train of thoughts like this was going on in Cas’s head when it was interrupted by Jack’s shout - ‘DEAN!’. 

Dean was just lying there with his eyes open. Not getting up. Not rushing towards them with happiness. With a sudden load on his heart, Cas remembered a previous conversation he’d had with Dean - when he’d gone to see Raphael’s old vessel way back- “Michael is much more powerful, It'll be far worse for you." Fearing the worst, he ran towards Dean to check on him, and asked Jack to check on Sam, who’d been knocked unconscious in the fight. To his relief, he saw Dean was still alive. But barely. 

##  Home 

They went back to the bunker. Sam didn’t speak a single word during the entire journey. When he’d regained consciousness, he’d smiled so wide on learning that Michael had left Dean, but that smile didn’t last as he saw Dean’s condition. Dean was in what could only be described as a vegetative state now. Jack had stopped crying and fallen asleep after a while. He muttered words like ‘Even when I win, I lose’ in his sleep. Usually Cas would try and console them, give them some words of comfort and courage, but he himself felt lost. Looking at Dean just lying there unresponsive, he felt each moment as if an angel blade was piercing him. 

When they got back home, Cas and Sam supported Dean from one side each and took him to his room, and lay him on his bed. They asked Jack to go to his room and clean up. After that, Sam broke down crying. He remembered carrying Dean’s body and laying him down after Metatron had killed him. Cas himself was on the verge of breaking down. The last time he’d seen Dean in the bunker was when he’d said Yes to Michael. Cas wanted to stop him, but couldn’t as there was no other choice. He tried being strong for Sam, as Dean would have wanted and told him they’d find a way, even though he himself wasn’t sure how. Sam slowly stopped sobbing and they changed Dean into clean clothes and left to do the same themselves. 

None of them came for dinner, understandably. Jack had gone to sleep almost immediately after changing. Cas had heard him crying for a bit before that. Sam had gone to his room and there was plain silence. Unlike the two of them, Cas couldn’t sleep. He instead went to Dean’s room and just looked at him for a while. Remembered the extraordinary journey they’d had from the moment they’d met. After a little while, Dean suddenly started convulsing rapidly. Terrified, Cas yelled Sam’s and Jack’s names while trying to hold Dean down. The convulsions stopped after a bit. Sam and Jack might not have heard, as no one came. Horrified by this as he was, Cas was struck by an idea. He remembered how he’d taken on Sam’s trauma of Lucifer. He decided to try it here. He knew if he ran it by Sam and Jack, they’d be against it. So, better do it now. He put his hands on Dean’s head and started. 

Sam suddenly heard a scream from Dean’s room. He frantically ran there as fast as he could. He saw Dean still lying on his bed, but Cas was sitting on the ground, looking more traumatised than Sam had ever seen him. He asked Cas what had happened. Cas explained how he had tried to transfer Dean’s trauma of Michael unto himself like he’d done for Sam’s trauma of Lucifer. But he’d barely started when the trauma got too much to handle. This was Michael, more powerful and more sadistic than Lucifer. The Archangel who invented the Lance of Michael to torture-kill his brother. 

Cas revealed that Dean had tried and fought against Michael’s control the whole time and Michael as a result tortured his soul in his own body. He had unleashed all his cruelty on Dean. Each day in reality had been millennia of torture within Dean, as a result of Michael slowing time within Dean's self. Yet Dean didn’t stop trying to take control back. He had been determined to return, to not break as he felt the last time he had given in for survival, the first seal of the apocalypse had broken. 

Finally when Sam, Cas and Jack had confronted Michael and he tried to kill them, it triggered Dean enough to muster enough emotional strength to kick Michael out. But as he was leaving, he took his vengeance on Dean, slowing down time as much as he could within Dean, as he had been doing to torture him, he burned and flayed Dean’s soul constantly and made him relive all the worst things that had happened to him, that he felt guilty about, hundreds of thousands of times rapidly within those handful of moments. He had destroyed Dean more times than Cas could enumerate, slowly over the course of his possession and instantaneously all over again while leaving. "It was too much to even touch, much less transfer", Cas said, sobbing. 

For the first time in a long while, Cas was crying. Dean had to go through all that and it was too painful a thought for him to bear. Sam went pale on hearing all of this, his fists were clenched so tight, his nails dug into his palms. Luckily, Jack was still asleep. This time it was Sam’s turn to console Cas. He laid a hand on Cas’s shoulder and said they’d find a way, they had to. 

It was almost morning already, so Sam went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Mary and Bobby would be arriving soon, after driving all night. Cas refused to leave Dean’s side, in case the convulsions started again. And they did. A few times. After the first couple of times, Cas had gotten the hang of how to handle it. 

##  Birthday 

It had been a few days since they had gotten Dean back. No improvement had been seen. Mary had, like Sam, broken down on seeing Dean like that after she’d had the misfortune of walking in when he was having convulsions. Friends Dean had made over the years had come to visit him over the days. Quite a few of them had cried a bit as well. Cas guessed no one was used to seeing Dean in such a condition, so vulnerable and helpless. Krissy, Claire, Garth, all had to be consoled by Charlie, Cas, Jody and Donna. Ketch came to visit as well. Cas did not trust him still, but he knew Dean and him had bonded so he allowed the meeting. Cas caught Rowena wiping her eyes once, maybe the witch wasn’t heartless after all. She and Sam had gotten into the Men of Letters archives to try and find something to help. Garth spread the news to his friends in case something came up that could help. Even Ketch had a few suggestions. Jack spent most of his time on the laptop, sitting by Dean’s side, trying to find some lore. 

They couldn’t ignore the Michael situation either. Even though they had found a solution for the Heaven issue, a rogue Archangel could create problems. He had asked Dumah to keep him updated in case Michael showed up anywhere. He also asked them whether they had any idea regarding how to help an Archangel’s vessel post ejection. The look on their faces said it all. Desperate, he summoned Death. He was hesitant to face her, as he had killed her when she was a Reaper. But he was ready to do it for Dean. When she showed, she made it clear she knew why he had called upon her. And that there was no way known to help Dean. Michael had destroyed Dean in such a way, not even Michael himself could heal him now. The only way Dean could actually heal was if he himself came out of it, as the trauma was within himself. 

Cas, now out of options, just went home, sat in the Impala and put in the mixtape that Dean had made him. And cried, again. He felt like he was losing Dean for good this time. 

He later told Sam about what Death had said. Sam seemed to have found some strength as he declared he wouldn’t stop trying. That gave Cas some confidence as well. 

The next day, it was Dean’s 40th birthday, Sam said at dinner. He said he wanted to celebrate it, with the people who loved Dean. Everyone seemed to agree. 

##  I need you 

Cas prayed to Chuck that night. He prayed for Dean. He and Chuck had a lot of stuff they did not talk about, yet one thing they both knew, Dean was important. He even half-jokingly added it’d be fine if not Chuck, but Amara helped Dean, she had a connection with him after all, even beyond the Mark of Cain. Just please someone help Dean. 

Next day, Cas took it on himself to get Dean ready. His decision to do so surprised Sam. But Sam agreed. He laid out Dean’s favourite flannel (a shirt with red, purple and blue pattern). He noticed how Dean’s beard had grown, and remembered how Dean used to keep himself clean shaven. He decided to do it for him. 

Cas sat Dean down, took off his overshirt, put a towel around Dean’s neck and put shaving foam on his beard. He began to shave Dean’s beard, with slow, firm strikes of the razor. On nearing his chin, he cut skin by mistake. Cas’s reaction was immediate “I’m sorry Dean” and he healed the cut immediately, but seeing that, it suddenly dawned to him, how Dean didn’t even react to the cut. It was expected, of course, that in his condition, he wouldn’t react, but still looking at those green eyes, and no light there, Cas’s heart broke. His eyes welling up, he just couldn’t help but hug Dean, shaving foam causing a mess. “Dean, I can’t. I tried, but I just.... I can’t handle this scenario if you are gone like this. Please, come back Dean. We won’t give up on you. Don’t you dare give up on yourself. Come back please, my Dean. We need you. I need you” he kept saying, half sobbing. Suddenly a sound shocked him into stopping. A sound, that he wanted to hear more than anything. A rough voice, unsteadily saying “Cas”. 

He pulled out from the hug, and saw Dean, weakened tremendously, but definitely coherent. Dean had come back. A faint smile came on Dean’s face when he saw Cas. And tears again came to Cas’s eyes, from unbelievable happiness. He hugged Dean again, as if afraid to let go. Dean groaned a bit, but his hands rose slowly, weak but determined to return the hug. 

After a bit, Cas shaved the rest of Dean’s beard, got him ready. Cas was about to call Sam, but Dean held his hand, slowly shook his head and said shakily “Surprise”. Cas smiled and nodded. 

Cas remembered his prayers from the night before, and unsure whether Chuck and/or Amara helped, thanked them profusely from his heart anyway. Feeling more happy than he had ever felt, Cas’s hand was tugged by Dean who said “Thanks, Cas” a bit shakily still, but was getting noticeably firmer. 

Cas supported Dean to get up and they both slowly walked out of his room to go celebrate with everyone. Cas smiled remembering something he had said to Dean once - “Good things do happen”. 


End file.
